The Granite School District Board of Education on Tuesday night unanimously voted to indefinitely suspend the study looking into closing two eastside elementary schools.
For now — Eastwood Elementary, 3305 S. Wasatch Blvd. in Millcreek, and Morningside Elementary, 4170 S. 3000 East in Holladay — are safe from closure.
The decision was met with raucous cheers from community members attending the meeting, many of whom spoke against the closure recommendation during a public hearing that lasted well over an hour.
“I’ve said a couple of times throughout the study that I was uncertain about the closure recommendations this time around because the schools involved seem to be succeeding despite their small size,” board member Kim Chandler said.
“This stands in stark contrast to previous studies and last year, as an example, one of the schools that they closed in particular was definitely struggling. Morningside and Eastwood, however, are both succeeding schools this year. This year, it felt a little bit like we’re trying to fix something that’s not broken yet because of a belief that breakage is inevitable and imminent,” Chandler said.
Community concern
The primary reason the district was considering closing schools is declining student enrollment. In February, a population analysis study was conducted of its 10 easternmost elementary schools to explore options, including changing boundaries or closing the elementary schools altogether.
But when the study narrowed in on Eastwood and Morningside closing, their communities rallied. A coalition of 265 community members last week sent a letter to the district’s board, asking members to vote against the proposals.
Jen Robinson is a parent of two children attending Morningside. Alongside Morningside’s traditional role, it also hosts two additional programs.
Two hundred fifty students participate in a French dual-language immersion program, and 150 other students participate in an Advanced Learning Center program for gifted and talented students.
Robinson’s oldest — a second grader — is in the French program. During the public hearing, Robinson asked the board to revisit the study area more comprehensively.
“Let’s revisit area five with a comprehensive study considering leading success indicators, including the metrics the district prioritizes, like out-of-boundary and out-of-district enrollment. Let’s do more of what works, attracts families and creates the stability that our children deserve,” Robinson said.
Like Morningside, Eastwood is also a unique school in that it is a designated STEM school. The Utah STEM Action Center even designated Eastwood as one of only four gold STEM elementary schools in the state.
Nastasya Mangone, an Eastwood parent and member of the school’s community advocacy group, acknowledged the district has a tough job, juggling public education with “declining enrollment, aging facilities and shifting budget.”
“Eastwood’s story is not a story of decline. It’s a story of excellence, resilience and a community that refuses to give up. Eastwood is not just a building. It’s a promise that public education can both be exceptional and deeply human. Like many districts statewide, we are also facing declining enrollment, aging facilities and increased pressure to do more with less,” Mangone said.
“Our state’s future depends on whether we preserve places that connect us — the schools where children first learn what community means. When one thriving school is sacrificed in the name of efficiency, every community loses a piece of that shared trust.”
Moving forward
While Eastwood and Morningside were taken off the chopping block Tuesday night, the board emphasized the need for a more comprehensive, district-wide study that includes community engagement and data-backed recommendations to guide the district’s future.
“While there’s some sign of relief here, I’m still concerned about these classes that have just a few students in them, or way too many kids in them, despite being allocated the same amount of resources as every other school in that area and throughout Granite School District,” Superintendent Ben Horsley said.
Still, board member Clarke Nelson said the reality of declining enrollment will be “painful at some point for certain schools.”
“It is a really difficult situation. And as a parent of five children myself, and having closed my neighborhood school of my own where all five of my children attended school just a few years ago, I empathize with this situation. I emphasize with the comments that we received so many of, which are, ‘We understand that there’s some challenges here, but please not my school.’ I empathize with that greatly,” Nelson said.
“But there is also a quote out there that talks about how a nation is formed on those that come together for the greater common good, and that is ultimately what we have to get to as a board.”